Robotron 2084

The classics keep hitting mobile phones, as we can see in this rendition of the popular arcade legend Robotron 2084.

Robotron 2084. Ahhh, what fond arcade memories this game brought to me. Taking advantage of a dual joystick control system and simply blasting armada after armada of enemy entourages for hours on end while saving members of the human race. It was amazing fun.

Since that time, the game's had a recurring role in my gaming life, popping up in the occasional collection and being turned to for a quickie play here and there. And now THQ has made it for portable use in their wireless download section.

The basics of the game are very simple- shoot and run. You're a robotron, assigned to protect members of the human race against evil robotrons that have the goal to simply obliterate them. Some are simple grunt robots, but others, including invincible hulks and brainiacs, will wreak havoc with each new level that unfolds.

The game consists of a number of levels, and has the kind of sounds and graphics that are true to the original arcade game, which is good news. But there is some troublesome slowdown that comes into play in the later levels. Also, the control scheme, although solid, is weird. You use the main directional pad for movement and the keypad for shooting. It's a novel idea, but it takes a little getting used to with placement. Still, it's fun.

Ahhh, I'm glad that Robotron hasn't lost too much luster in its portable translation. Sure, it's a bit quirky, and some might consider it a sin that it doesn't move at the lightning speed it used to. But I'll take a great game that had good intentions rather than a game with the best ambition in the world but none of the follow through. Besides, Robotrons are fun!